Although he lacks extensive coaching experience, Álvaro Arbeloa has been appointed as the new head of Real Madrid after Xabi Alonso’s dismissal. However, significant doubts linger about whether the Spaniard will serve as the interim coach until the end of the season or if the position will be permanent, as the club’s statement did not specify this. In response, he addressed the situation, offering insights into what the future may hold.
In his first press conference as Real Madrid head coach, Álvaro Arbeloa provided a clear answer when asked about his role as interim or permanent: “I’ve been here for 20 years and I’ll stay as long as Madrid wants me to. This is my home, that’s how I feel.” Even if Arbeloa did not specify his contractual situation, he left open the possibility of staying with the team, depending on the front office’s decision, similar to the situation with Zinedine Zidane.
After Jürgen Klopp publicly rejected the Real Madrid head coach spot, Arbeloa has become the front-runner to remain with the team. The decision will hinge not only on results but also on the team’s progress and style of play. This will determine whether he returns to coach Real Madrid Castilla or remains with the first team. Additionally, he emphasized that the teams’ commitment to compete for all titles, acknowledging that winning is the ultimate priority for the team.
Far from placing the egos of the players in the dressing room as a major problem, Arbeloa has made it clear that this is of little relevance in his new chapter. “We have a squad with great players and they are all very good guys, there is no one more interested in winning titles than the players themselves,” he said at the press conference. With this in mind, the Spaniard coach is set to boost the competitiveness of the team.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Head Coach of Real Madrid, looks on during the Training Session.
Arbeloa highlights Real Madrid’s youth academy as key in his tenure
Álvaro Arbeloa embarks on his first professional experience in the first division with a team full of stars such as Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, among other. While this might appear to limit opportunities for youth academy players, he has openly focus on nurturing young talent, mirroring Xabi Alonso’s strategy with Gonzalo Garcia.
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“It’s the best youth academy in the world. There are players who have come through the ranks everywhere, and tomorrow we’ll be facing some of them. We’re extremely lucky to have had so many players over the years, they’ve brought me to where I am today. They know they have a great opportunity, that the first-team coach knows them better than anyone else. They know how demanding Madrid is and they know I’m counting on them,” he said at the press conference.
In his first training session with the team, Arbeloa has already shown that he is serious about investing in talent from the youth academy. According to Ruben Cañizares, 19-year-old midfielder Jorge Cesteros has been called up to the first team. With this move, the coach is showing that the solution to the team’s problems may not lie in new signings but in looking to the players he himself helped to develop.
